Having developed an interest in the Japanese folklore of tsukumogami, Athlone began to see objects around him with a different eye. He believes that objects have memory and energy. The ability to tap into both is crucial to his expression. His mixed media work often includes whatever material is available to him at the time. While in the creative process, he sees each object as having their own unique story and perceives his role as a kind of choir conductor who brings all the different voices into one melody. Clarke believes with great conviction that there is no “have to” in art. “Spontaneity and experimentation across the different mediums is where it’s at for me, even while I accept that in some cases, spontaneity may require practice. To follow any kind of script would be a slow, torturous death for me. When I’m done working on a piece, I like the surprise of finally being able to step back, and it feels like I’m seeing it for the first time. So creative freedom is everything to me, and because of that, I absolutely refuse to participate in the building of any kind of prison in my creative space.”